Add your thoughts using the KWL approach. Thinking about Game Mechanics, Games-Based Learning or gamification.....
K = What do you know?
W = What do you want to learn?
L = What have you learned? (we'll do this last one later)
K = I know that games can be engaging, thought provoking and most importantly fun. I also have used both virtual and physical games in the classroom with varying levels of success.
W = I want to learn the most effective ways of integrating game-based learning into the classroom. I would also like to have some examples to kickstart/inspire me.
L = Zombie geography - big one for me. Also the political fantasy example used a lot of features that I could see being effective in my classroom. The general theory side of game usage appealed to me as well.
Reflection
Add your thoughts here and also add to the KWL notes above, where appropriate.
Overall, this course has argued for a positive interaction with games in the classroom. Making activities with game features such as scores/upgrades etc can be as simple/complex as you like.
Level 2
Where do I start?
Identify some learning outcomes that you will be visiting with your students in upcoming lessons. Note down here some ways they might benefit from gamification.
Climate change - identify the causes of climate change and their effects - activity like celebrity heads/charades but with causes. Students get points for each correct guess. Engaging and interactive.
Observe and reflect
After playing a game what are your personal thoughts about the design and elements involved and how any of these could help you in thinking about doing the same in a learning activity?
Played mafia/werewolf with a group of friends. Tight design with lots of collaboration and discussion. Also participants were invested and engaged the entire time. Convert this system into a legal studies activity - special abilities, story, acting, win/lose conditions.
Level 3
Premiers Reading Challenge Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience. (feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
Good idea. Almost a points based system which uses very clear rules to ensure the books read are likely to be challenging based on the age of the student. Satisfaction is received from the progression element.
Zombie Learning Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience.
(feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
This is more of what I would like to do in the classroom. Encourages problem based learning and uses the zombie scenario to help students grasp the important practical aspects of geography. It sets a challenge, encourages collaboration and has a focus on key geographic skills. Fun as the activity is asking the players 'can you survive?' rather than 'can you get the correct answer?'. Keeps things interesting.
You Try/ A final reflection
Add your finished plan here as an upload file or as text you have cut and pasted into the wiki. We would love to give you feedback to help you get started. (remember it does not need be perfect, it is a first attempt). Alternatively it can be emailed to us instead.
This is a page out of a geography website that I have designed. Initially I created a page for each geography skill with a short tutorial.
Now I have modified the content and with some programming expertise (I have some skill in ActionScript 3.0) I was able to program some interactive activities into each one. Each activity uses a points mechanic, where getting enough correct answers will allow you to complete the activity. This is done by giving praise and support each time a student attempts a question.
Later I intend to add some kind of xml framework that tracks student progress, putting a tick next to each skill they have completed. This would be added to the list, on this page:
These activities are quite similar to short flash games in a number of ways, but further functionality could be added by creating individual logins and passwords. Each player would then have a profile and a level, which increases when they complete one of the skills activities. This would run in a similar way to a site like Kongregate.
The game aspect of these activities revolves around a question/answer dynamic. The question is randomly generated from either an algorithm or by a random selection using rng. When the student types/clicks their answer, the computer checks to see if their entered input == true (basically a boolean command). If it is correct, the screen brings up a congratulatory message in bright green, saying 'Well Done!'. If the player gets the question wrong, it will reply 'Oops, try again!'. Points are also lost/awarded depending on the outcome of the answer given, and different skills require 10-20 points in order to proceed (harder skills generally require fewer points in order to complete it).
Have you filled in the evaluation? Yes. Have you found the bonus level content? Yes. It was quite interesting to see how you made the interactive elements of this activity.
Level 1
KWL (Levels 1 and 3)
Add your thoughts using the KWL approach. Thinking about Game Mechanics, Games-Based Learning or gamification.....K = What do you know?
W = What do you want to learn?
L = What have you learned? (we'll do this last one later)
K = I know that games can be engaging, thought provoking and most importantly fun. I also have used both virtual and physical games in the classroom with varying levels of success.
W = I want to learn the most effective ways of integrating game-based learning into the classroom. I would also like to have some examples to kickstart/inspire me.
L = Zombie geography - big one for me. Also the political fantasy example used a lot of features that I could see being effective in my classroom. The general theory side of game usage appealed to me as well.
Reflection
Add your thoughts here and also add to the KWL notes above, where appropriate.Overall, this course has argued for a positive interaction with games in the classroom. Making activities with game features such as scores/upgrades etc can be as simple/complex as you like.
Level 2
Where do I start?
Identify some learning outcomes that you will be visiting with your students in upcoming lessons. Note down here some ways they might benefit from gamification.Climate change - identify the causes of climate change and their effects - activity like celebrity heads/charades but with causes. Students get points for each correct guess. Engaging and interactive.
Observe and reflect
After playing a game what are your personal thoughts about the design and elements involved and how any of these could help you in thinking about doing the same in a learning activity?
Played mafia/werewolf with a group of friends. Tight design with lots of collaboration and discussion. Also participants were invested and engaged the entire time. Convert this system into a legal studies activity - special abilities, story, acting, win/lose conditions.
Level 3
Premiers Reading Challenge Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience. (feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)Good idea. Almost a points based system which uses very clear rules to ensure the books read are likely to be challenging based on the age of the student. Satisfaction is received from the progression element.
Zombie Learning Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience.(feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
This is more of what I would like to do in the classroom. Encourages problem based learning and uses the zombie scenario to help students grasp the important practical aspects of geography. It sets a challenge, encourages collaboration and has a focus on key geographic skills. Fun as the activity is asking the players 'can you survive?' rather than 'can you get the correct answer?'. Keeps things interesting.
You Try/ A final reflection
Add your finished plan here as an upload file or as text you have cut and pasted into the wiki. We would love to give you feedback to help you get started. (remember it does not need be perfect, it is a first attempt). Alternatively it can be emailed to us instead.http://geographymapskills.com/quadrants.html
This is a page out of a geography website that I have designed. Initially I created a page for each geography skill with a short tutorial.
Now I have modified the content and with some programming expertise (I have some skill in ActionScript 3.0) I was able to program some interactive activities into each one. Each activity uses a points mechanic, where getting enough correct answers will allow you to complete the activity. This is done by giving praise and support each time a student attempts a question.
Later I intend to add some kind of xml framework that tracks student progress, putting a tick next to each skill they have completed. This would be added to the list, on this page:
http://geographymapskills.com/browse.html
These activities are quite similar to short flash games in a number of ways, but further functionality could be added by creating individual logins and passwords. Each player would then have a profile and a level, which increases when they complete one of the skills activities. This would run in a similar way to a site like Kongregate.
The game aspect of these activities revolves around a question/answer dynamic. The question is randomly generated from either an algorithm or by a random selection using rng. When the student types/clicks their answer, the computer checks to see if their entered input == true (basically a boolean command). If it is correct, the screen brings up a congratulatory message in bright green, saying 'Well Done!'. If the player gets the question wrong, it will reply 'Oops, try again!'. Points are also lost/awarded depending on the outcome of the answer given, and different skills require 10-20 points in order to proceed (harder skills generally require fewer points in order to complete it).
Have you filled in the evaluation? Yes. Have you found the bonus level content? Yes. It was quite interesting to see how you made the interactive elements of this activity.